According to research performed by Nectar Business for its 2010 Small Business Awards BlackBerry use effectively adds 10 days of work a year for employees. They did this research in the UK surveying 1,000+ BlackBerry workers about the impact of BlackBerrys on their working lives.
It seems like the consensus is that BlackBerrys do make you work more but it seems like it also makes work easier. They found that 71 percent of workers surveyed found email was the best form of communication. Though 24 percent said they feel stressed because they are always on call.
I am kind of curious what all of you think about BlackBerry usage for work. Does it enhance your work and make you more productive? Does it hamper your personal and family time? How do you balance the two?
via Telegraph
Efraim L. Not Registered
Posted: March 2, 2010 at 7:50 AM EST from my BlackBerry 9700
BlackBerry is the best – helps me do my work and helps me stay connected with family…
BBKrazyKat Not Registered
Posted: March 2, 2010 at 9:07 AM EST
It atually allows me to manage my personal life more efficiently – I LOVE IT!
Kimberly Cooley Not Registered
Posted: March 2, 2010 at 9:15 AM EST
Sorry, but this igs me. The term is Blackberry devices as opposed to Blackberrys. LOL.
Ronen Halevy ( View Profile) Senior admin - Posts: 5298
Posted: March 2, 2010 at 10:27 AM EST
Hi Kimberly,
The plural is actually BlackBerry Smartphones but we like to stick it to RIM by calling them BlackBerrys.
http://www.berryreview.com/2008/05/27/whats-the-plural-of-blackberry-the-definitive-answer/
Derek Brown ( View Profile) Enthusiast - Posts: 264
Posted: March 2, 2010 at 11:20 AM EST
I remember reading through that branding stuff when my company became a BlackBerry Partner a year or two ago. They are very picky when it comes to what you can use in your marketing materials, but I typically drop the smartphone bit off when I talk about my good ole crackberry (I’m sure that isn’t RIM approved, either).
Dave Not Registered
Posted: March 2, 2010 at 10:43 AM EST
The answer of course is that it does both. The main benefit is that I can deal with emails as they come in, as opposed to facing 30+ emails every morning or more on the weekends. And on occassions I have gotten business b/c I was the first to respond to an inquiry. However, it hampers my personal and family time (just ask my wife and kids) for sure. My 7-yr-old son’s favorite expression (said with a sarcastic sneer) is “you didn’t hear me because you were probably looking at your BlackBerry.”
c0rinne ( View Profile) Enthusiast - Posts: 374
Posted: March 2, 2010 at 11:13 AM EST
That pic would be much more effective if he was actually talking on a blackberry.
Alex Walker Not Registered
Posted: March 3, 2010 at 6:07 AM EST
I use an iPhone for work, but the principle is the same. I tend to turn off work emails during my private time – if it’s that urgent then the phone is still on to accept calls. However, if I were running my own business, rather than an employee, I would welcome it being on all the time so that I could respond immediately if necessary.
ralf Not Registered
Posted: March 4, 2010 at 2:49 PM EST
Are those workers getting paid fairly for those extra 10 days of work? Are they being compensated for being on call 24 hours a day now that they can carry their job around in their pocket? How many workers would be happy to receive an extra 10 unpaid, work-free, mobile device-free days per year?
In the 19th century, textile workers who took their work home were paid less than those who did the same work in a factory. Capitalism never changes They just make the chains shinier.